Develop Bugs

T-Mobile insurance. Is it worth it?

I wanted to start this thread as sort of an informative type of thread. I know there will be other people wondering the same thing. I haven't had t-mobile in years and only dealt with sprint Asurion insurance.
I have been offered t-mobile insurance and I'm not really sure if it would be worth getting it. There were three options given and I wanted to get some insight from some customers that have gone through the insurance in the past. I am leaning towards the middle one that I think was 4.79.
Is this a good insurance to have or should I get the higher priced one that extends the warranty to two years?
Are there any issues over the phone when trying to get a replacement due to software or hardware issues?
How are the refurbs that are sent as replacement?
Here are the two options
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/addons...umHandsetProtection&tp=Svc_Sub_EqpmntProtnOvw
or
http://www.squaretrade.com/pages/and...g1#coveragePop

I went with Squaretrade instead of Tmobile because of the deductible
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

mziol said:
I went with Squaretrade instead of Tmobile because of the deductible
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you give some insight on what squaretrade is offering vs t-mobile?

mziol said:
I went with Squaretrade instead of Tmobile because of the deductible
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went squaretrade too, with coupon code it was only $90 and covers 2 years and by then I will be on a completely diff phone anyway..

if they cover screen replacement or water damage, it's a decent protection, if you are ... accident prone like me
i used to take those insurance, when i was in school and couldn't afford a new device very often.
once i started getting better jobs, i stopped taking those, as i was switching from phone to phone before i can even crack the old phone

post moved to OP

AllGamer said:
if they cover screen replacement or water damage, it's a decent protection, if you are ... accident prone like me
i used to take those insurance, when i was in school and couldn't afford a new device very often.
once i started getting better jobs, i stopped taking those, as i was switching from phone to phone before i can even crack the old phone
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Click to collapse
Yeah that's kinda where I'm at with it. I am very careful with my phones and usually go through phones pretty quick. I will feel much better about it once I get a case. I always feel like I'm going to drop this thing. I don't know if it's the weight or the slender build.

i just use the tmobil insurance u brick or wreck ur phone u take it into tmobil they replace it with a new one or refurbished one!

have you looked at the Best Buy insurance?
they are pretty fair and fool prof and it's affordable but the rates varies from phone to phone, so you might want to check in store

AllGamer said:
have you looked at the Best Buy insurance?
they are pretty fair and fool prof and it's affordable but the rates varies from phone to phone, so you might want to check in store
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got my phone through wirefly so I don't know if Bestbuy would warranty a purchase that wasn't at their store.
I did notice that squaretrade doesn't cover loss or theft so that wouldn't be an option.
I am leaning toward the PHP insurance option through T-mobile. Anybody here ever had any issues with that particular type of insurance?

Jjday7 said:
I got my phone through wirefly so I don't know if Bestbuy would warranty a purchase that wasn't at their store.
I did notice that squaretrade doesn't cover loss or theft so that wouldn't be an option.
I am leaning toward the PHP insurance option through T-mobile. Anybody here ever had any issues with that particular type of insurance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thats the thing i dont like the no loss of theft. but that deductible is killer. i wonder if there is a way to sweet talk them. and i do understand its a deterrent to prevent people from breaking there phone to get the updated hardware as they make revisions or lie and say they lost the phone so they can get a dev phone.

I had cell phone insiranve since it was 1.99 it just a fall. Back they send it ecpress overnght and u pay lile 130 dedu.(smart phone) it worth it
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

Baaed on the answers, I'm thinking that going the insurance route is the best option. This phone feels fragile so I'm going to cover my butt. I think the 4.79 insurance will do. Plus I can cancel at any time which makes It a better deal. I lobe this phone but I know from past experiences that I will probably keep it less than a year.

Jjday7 said:
Baaed on the answers, I'm thinking that going the insurance route is the best option. This phone feels fragile so I'm going to cover my butt. I think the 4.79 insurance will do. Plus I can cancel at any time which makes It a better deal. I lobe this phone but I know from past experiences that I will probably keep it less than a year.
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Click to collapse
i got it as well. i would rather pay a little extra so im not always worried about the phone. better to have it and not need then to need and not have. replace the phone once and its payed for its self.

ive had/have premium asurion insurance thru tmobile. they cover 3 phones in a 12 month period. i know because ive lost 4 phones already and was left with no choice but to buy the sgs2 lol.
the deductible is what kills you. for any smart phone whether its damaged, lost or stolen, you have to pay 130.00 PERIOD and that includes free overnight shipping. if you order your new phone monday morning you will have it by tuesday afternoon. theres no sweet talking or getting yourself out of that deductible EVER. if your a clutz like me the insurance is worth it. 130 beats 500 any day.
asurion covers stolen, lost, theft, water damage, etc. i guess they dont really care what your excuse is for whatever happened to your phone because your getting ass raped with a deductible. either way i WOULD recommend them. its a small price to pay and believe if you ever do lose your phone you will be more than thankful that you had insurance on it

They are both worth it. DO NOT go with tie protection plan. They never keep up their end. It's pointless and it's money down the drain. With T-Mobile insurance and warranty... you get a phone... you damage it... there is a deductible. If it's the phone itself, the warranty covers it. Better to pay the deductible then retail of the phone. The phones aren't getting cheaper. You have to think MSRP.
I've been selling phones for dealers and corp for 5+ years. Insurance is a double edged sword. Yes it costs more monthly, yes it adds up and yes there is a deductible. So it's a gamble. Is it worth it? Yes. Is it worth it if nothing goes wrong with the phone? No. But that's the gamble.
Warranty... Personally I'll pass. I don't keep phones past the first year. The phone is covered by manufacturer warranty and I believe the carrier will handle the swap for you. You're paying for the second year in contract for the warranty part... So you pay it the first year when it's covered anyway.
Insurance covers everything... then there is a deductible. Anything happens to the phone, you make a claim and get one the next day. Handled by Asurion.
If you add up the monthly charge for insurance alone + the deductible... you're looking at about $250. If nothing happens and you keep your phone, then you paid insurance for nothing. But that's just insurance... that's how insurance works. If you break it, lose it or get it wet within the first couple months... pay the deductible and get a new one... was insurance worth it? Yes.
Next year... let's say something happens... you've been paying on insurance, pay the deductible. Could you maybe have bought the phone from someone else and saved a little coin? Yes.
It's basically good to have insurance if something happens in the first few months. I recommend putting it on at first and maybe ween yourself off it. But some of you are like me...
Am I too cheap to pay for insurance? Yes.
Will I get insurance? Probably for the first couple months.
Do I have the phone for 6+ months? No.
If I don't have insurance, am I willing to drop $500+ on the latest phone? Sure. I guess I have to.

Jjday7 said:
I got my phone through wirefly so I don't know if Bestbuy would warranty a purchase that wasn't at their store.
I did notice that squaretrade doesn't cover loss or theft so that wouldn't be an option.
I am leaning toward the PHP insurance option through T-mobile. Anybody here ever had any issues with that particular type of insurance?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey, I got my daughter's Sidekick 4G through Wirefly and they offered some kind of insurance for like $70 up front or in monthly installments. And I do believe it covered accidents and theft. Check into it.

chrischoi said:
They are both worth it. DO NOT go with tie protection plan. They never keep up their end. It's pointless and it's money down the drain. With T-Mobile insurance and warranty... you get a phone... you damage it... there is a deductible. If it's the phone itself, the warranty covers it. Better to pay the deductible then retail of the phone. The phones aren't getting cheaper. You have to think MSRP.
I've been selling phones for dealers and corp for 5+ years. Insurance is a double edged sword. Yes it costs more monthly, yes it adds up and yes there is a deductible. So it's a gamble. Is it worth it? Yes. Is it worth it if nothing goes wrong with the phone? No. But that's the gamble.
Warranty... Personally I'll pass. I don't keep phones past the first year. The phone is covered by manufacturer warranty and I believe the carrier will handle the swap for you. You're paying for the second year in contract for the warranty part... So you pay it the first year when it's covered anyway.
Insurance covers everything... then there is a deductible. Anything happens to the phone, you make a claim and get one the next day. Handled by Asurion.
If you add up the monthly charge for insurance alone + the deductible... you're looking at about $250. If nothing happens and you keep your phone, then you paid insurance for nothing. But that's just insurance... that's how insurance works. If you break it, lose it or get it wet within the first couple months... pay the deductible and get a new one... was insurance worth it? Yes.
Next year... let's say something happens... you've been paying on insurance, pay the deductible. Could you maybe have bought the phone from someone else and saved a little coin? Yes.
It's basically good to have insurance if something happens in the first few months. I recommend putting it on at first and maybe ween yourself off it. But some of you are like me...
Am I too cheap to pay for insurance? Yes.
Will I get insurance? Probably for the first couple months.
Do I have the phone for 6+ months? No.
If I don't have insurance, am I willing to drop $500+ on the latest phone? Sure. I guess I have to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yea i see where you are coming from. just wish i was in a different industry where my phone would not be exposed to so many elements.

Get the bundle. Sure it may be $7/month, but the insurance and warranty cover phones that you buy in the future too. (Even second hand phones)

rr5678 said:
Get the bundle. Sure it may be $7/month, but the insurance and warranty cover phones that you buy in the future too. (Even second hand phones)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
where do i find this information

Let's do the math on accidental insurance

I've read the Worth Ave thread but I am going to pass on the college plus despite what the phone operator told me since it is clearly stated on their website that you must be a student or employee of colleges or universities.
So for Accidental smartphone coverage:
Worth Ave : $59/year with $50 deductible with no limits on number of incidents. Not sure if there is only one replacement allowed per year.
Cons: maximum of $599, no normal wear and tear or mechanical breakdown, ONLY accidental drops, spills and theft. No claims if you simply lost your phone.
Gocare insurance: $59/year with $50 deductible with no limits on number of incidents. One replacement device during the coverage term. Said it will cover jailbroken phone so I would assume rooted phone also. Coverage seems to be very comprehensive but no theft or loss coverage.
Square trade: one year is $69 two year is $99(cheaper at Amazon, $125 at square trade site) $99 deductible. One replacement per coverage term. Each accidental claim is deducted from full replacement value of phone. A little ambiguity since when I read the contract, it said PURCHASED PRICE not full replacement cost.
Squaretrade:
Given the $99 deductible and the fact that if you paid for 2 years for squaretrade, and the fact that each time you have a claim, the cost of the claim is deducted from the maximum value, I do not think that the squaretrade deal is a good deal. If you choose the $6.99/month, you still have to pay for all 24 months if you made any claim. Also suppose you need a replacement 3 months after your coverage starts, you are out $99 plus $99 and you will not have any more coverage on the replacement device since you exhausted the maximum value.
Gocare:
For $59/year with $50 deductible, I think this is a better plan. Each incident whether it requires replacement or repair is $50 not $99. Also if your phone is not repairable during the first year, you are out only $59+$50 instead of $198 if you had square trade. Also you can repair as often as you like. Crack screen twice, $100. With Squaretrade, two crack screens and you are out $198 plus you probably can't submit another claim ever on that policy if the actual screen replacement cost is half the phone cost.
Either way, it is cheaper and wiser to buy one year instead of two year. Buying one year at a time will allow one replacement each year for the worst case.
I want to hear your thoughts but looks like I am going to pull the trigger on gocare insurance.

I can confirm I claimed on square trade and was given the full retail amount to purchase a new phone
Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2

I went with Squaretrade because of their good reviews on Amazon, etc.
I have Sprint's insurance currently, but for 11 dollars a month, with a 150 deductible, I wanted to try something else.
The problem with what you said, buying 1 year at a time, is that I dont believe with Squaretrade you can do that. My understanding is that you have to buy it within the first 30 days of purchasing your phone.

So does Gocare cover loss or theft? It sounds like the best deal, but lost or stolen is important to me.

bullz7210 said:
I went with Squaretrade because of their good reviews on Amazon, etc.
I have Sprint's insurance currently, but for 11 dollars a month, with a 150 deductible, I wanted to try something else.
The problem with what you said, buying 1 year at a time, is that I dont believe with Squaretrade you can do that. My understanding is that you have to buy it within the first 30 days of purchasing your phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is true, forgot about the 30 days.
GoCare doesn't care if your smartphone is new so you can just buy another one after the first year ends. Neither GoCare nor square trade covers theft or loss but I believe Sprint does.
Worth Ave group covers theft but probably requires a police report. It does not cover lost.
I took a chance and bought the $2000 coverage from Worth Ave group for a year since it is a blanket coverage of all your devices up to $2000. Since you don't even need to submit serial numbers(you can do that when you make a claim, provided you have the original box OR the receipt), I am basically covering every piece of electronics I own for up to $2000(smartphones, camera, laptop, camcorder) against accidental damage, spills, and thefts. Since I have 4 smartphones purchased for family plan, everyone of them is covered against crack screens, drops, and water submersions. For $66/year, I took a chance and hopefully if I have to make a claim, it will be a hassle free $25 deductibles.

I'm glad this thread is here, I was about to make a similar post. I'm also wondering which way to go as I currently have the Sprint coverage and would like something better and more affordable. I never heard of Gocare until now. I've used Squaretrade for my TF700 and it went well, bought a new one with the money...no deductible for tabs.
I'm thinking that will all the things that could go wrong with a phablet, if it would be better to go with Sprint for the ease. Will definitely look more into Gocare as I plan on picking up my phone this weekend.
I also was checking with Professor Google and found this: http://www.ensquared.com/GoCare-vs-Ensquared-vs-SquareTrade Ensquared is looking really good too. I'm going to put some more research into it but from their page here they look to have the best coverage: http://www.ensquared.com/catalog/phone-insurance/1-year-phone-insurance-smartphone

What about best buy? I heard we can just take the receipt and box into the store to get it added.

Ensquare looks pretty good since it covers loss also. Price is not bad for 1 or 2 years and you get up to 2 or 3 claims. I guess squaretrade is best known for service but if you need replacement within 2 years(assuming $99 2 years coverage), you will be out $198 and won't be able to make any more claims. With ensquare, you can lose your phone up to 3 times and they will charge you $75 for first time, $100 second and third time. How is ensquare's claim reputations?

Thanks to being spurred on by this thread, I have decided on insurance (which I NEVER get, but this phone is too expensive to risk) and weighed all the options. I just signed on with Ensquared. I almost went with GoCare, but read several things that said it was more a repair facility than an underwritten insurance provider. I ruled out Square Trade, Sprint and others for a variety of reasons. $59/yr with up to 2 claims ($1000 limit per claim), $75 ded on first and $100 if there's a second. Probably I will have none, but already feel more relaxed. They also cover loss or theft. Link if interested: http://www.ensquared.com/catalog/phone-insurance/1-year-phone-insurance-smartphone

Why not Sprint TEP?
Does it cost more? Yes. $11 a month.
Defective phone or wear and tear? Take it to the store. Swapped or repaired.
Lost, stolen or damaged? $150 deductible. I think there was something stating it's 3 swaps now.
Without it and with a 3rd party insurance. You have your 1 year warranty, but there is a $36 swap fee involved. Or good luck contacting Samsung. I tried and no one spoke English or had any idea of what I meant when I called in and explained my vibration issue. The motor or something is loose that it reproduces a horrid cracking sound. I have to keep it turned down at all times.

Silent25r said:
What about best buy? I heard we can just take the receipt and box into the store to get it added.
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Click to collapse
I work for best buy mobile an you can only add our protection plan if you bought the phone with us, with the exception of the iphone which we'll insure no matter where it was bought as long as its within 30 day of purchase and no damage to phone.

ps2gamer02 said:
I work for best buy mobile an you can only add our protection plan if you bought the phone with us, with the exception of the iphone which we'll insure no matter where it was bought as long as its within 30 day of purchase and no damage to phone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have a phone I bought at sprint online and just went into the store and they added the insurance no problem
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

aquaholik said:
That is true, forgot about the 30 days.
GoCare doesn't care if your smartphone is new so you can just buy another one after the first year ends. Neither GoCare nor square trade covers theft or loss but I believe Sprint does.
Worth Ave group covers theft but probably requires a police report. It does not cover lost.
I took a chance and bought the $2000 coverage from Worth Ave group for a year since it is a blanket coverage of all your devices up to $2000. Since you don't even need to submit serial numbers(you can do that when you make a claim, provided you have the original box OR the receipt), I am basically covering every piece of electronics I own for up to $2000(smartphones, camera, laptop, camcorder) against accidental damage, spills, and thefts. Since I have 4 smartphones purchased for family plan, everyone of them is covered against crack screens, drops, and water submersions. For $66/year, I took a chance and hopefully if I have to make a claim, it will be a hassle free $25 deductibles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They DO cover lost...if you file a report. I.E. "I saw it here last but now it is gone", with the police. Not loss in your living room. It has to be reported.
I had extensive conversations with them. As long as you are not trying to scam them. I hope I don't have to use it either.
And to the guy that said why not Sprint. It's 11 a month and $200, not $150 to replace.

steviee7 said:
I have a phone I bought at sprint online and just went into the store and they added the insurance no problem
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please expound. I might be interested in doing this, but thought I had to buy it at Best Buy to be eligible.

ffolkes said:
Please expound. I might be interested in doing this, but thought I had to buy it at Best Buy to be eligible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I went to a best buy and they said only an iPhone would they sell insurance on it if you didn't get it from them. So no luck. He said return the phone and get it from them....

This site add some insight http://extended-warranty-services-review.toptenreviews.com/
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 PM ----------
aquaholik said:
That is true, forgot about the 30 days.
GoCare doesn't care if your smartphone is new so you can just buy another one after the first year ends. Neither GoCare nor square trade covers theft or loss but I believe Sprint does.
Worth Ave group covers theft but probably requires a police report. It does not cover lost.
I took a chance and bought the $2000 coverage from Worth Ave group for a year since it is a blanket coverage of all your devices up to $2000. Since you don't even need to submit serial numbers(you can do that when you make a claim, provided you have the original box OR the receipt), I am basically covering every piece of electronics I own for up to $2000(smartphones, camera, laptop, camcorder) against accidental damage, spills, and thefts. Since I have 4 smartphones purchased for family plan, everyone of them is covered against crack screens, drops, and water submersions. For $66/year, I took a chance and hopefully if I have to make a claim, it will be a hassle free $25 deductibles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Where did you see the blanket coverage on their site or did you call?
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app

chrischoi said:
Why not Sprint TEP?
Does it cost more? Yes. $11 a month.
Defective phone or wear and tear? Take it to the store. Swapped or repaired.
Lost, stolen or damaged? $150 deductible. I think there was something stating it's 3 swaps now.
Without it and with a 3rd party insurance. You have your 1 year warranty, but there is a $36 swap fee involved. Or good luck contacting Samsung. I tried and no one spoke English or had any idea of what I meant when I called in and explained my vibration issue. The motor or something is loose that it reproduces a horrid cracking sound. I have to keep it turned down at all times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
People are saying it's $200 for the Note 2 which IMO is getting outta hand.

Sprint insurance is getting so expensive it's out of the question for me. I can wait for a few days while my phone is getting repaired (did it twice with my Epic). The local sprint store (and I did not have TEP) was kind enough to give me a loaner for a week without any charge (best buy will do the same if you have their coverage).
I'm going to go with Best Buy. $169, no deductible. Sure it's more out of pocket, but I've heard of them, and after one claim I'm ahead of the game than with Squaretrade.

Chuck_IV said:
People are saying it's $200 for the Note 2 which IMO is getting outta hand.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I had to pay $200
MeetFace said:
Sprint insurance is getting so expensive it's out of the question for me. I can wait for a few days while my phone is getting repaired (did it twice with my Epic). The local sprint store (and I did not have TEP) was kind enough to give me a loaner for a week without any charge (best buy will do the same if you have their coverage).
I'm going to go with Best Buy. $169, no deductible. Sure it's more out of pocket, but I've heard of them, and after one claim I'm ahead of the game than with Squaretrade.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Best Buy vs. Squaretrade Vs Worth Ave.
Go look at my Worthave thread before you decide. $67 for 2k of insurance on any electronics with a $25 deductible.

ZenInsight said:
Yes. I had to pay $200
Best Buy vs. Squaretrade Vs Worth Ave.
Go look at my Worthave thread before you decide. $67 for 2k of insurance on any electronics with a $25 deductible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't see that on their site...how did u get that?
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app

[TIP] Best Buy Protection plan on an AT&T store bought phone

If you purchase the GNII at an AT&T store (or from anywhere really) like I did last Friday, you can hold off on the less appealing AT&T Mobile Insurance and pick up the Best Buy Protection Plan. I've done this before with the Captivate and my girlfriend was even allowed to purchase the protection when she brought in her Sensation 4G with a cracked screen then come back in a week to replace it. My experience today started off by being told no by a general store manager when he overheard me asking but was later told it would be allowed by the specific mobile dept manager. Not all stores may be so lenient so you may have to try a couple times and be super nice. There must be a fairly hefty incentive for employees signing up protection plans.
Basic Diference in plans
AT&T Mobile Insurance: $10/month plus $200 at time of replacement
BB Protection Plan: $10/month and NO deductible upon replacement
There are a few more smaller difference but they generally favor the BB plan. Normally I would buy from BB in the first place but they are apparently having a delayed launch. The location I went to today still didn't know when they were being allowed to start selling. This may be something most XDA users know about but with all the insurance posts lately I thought I'd share incase it helps someone pull the trigger on the NII.

I purchased my Note 2 outright for $650 at a Best Buy mobile, and got the 2 year accidental damage replacement plan. Bought the plan outright as well being that it is much cheaper than paying $10/month. (Doesn't hurt that they gave me a discount for buying it all at once either).
Over all their plan is better than what AT&T offers, especially having no deductible and no limit to replacements. But it does NOT cover loss or theft. For that duty I am using Cerberus, and I am 100% pleased with bolth the phone and Replacement plan.
My wife is happy too because she got my GS3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

This sounds like a great idea. Thnx guys
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

Thanks for the tip!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2

probably should have took this into consideration. my power button broke on my note 2 in 3 days. i cant cut it on. luckily i took it back to at&t and they are going to switch it out for free. I just have to wait until another one comes into stock.

Both companies utilize samsungs warrenty before yours unless it requires damage. Also I pay 7.99 with att and hope never to have physical damage.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

erm87 said:
If you purchase the GNII at an AT&T store (or from anywhere really) like I did last Friday, you can hold off on the less appealing AT&T Mobile Insurance and pick up the Best Buy Protection Plan. I've done this before with the Captivate and my girlfriend was even allowed to purchase the protection when she brought in her Sensation 4G with a cracked screen then come back in a week to replace it. My experience today started off by being told no by a general store manager when he overheard me asking but was later told it would be allowed by the specific mobile dept manager. Not all stores may be so lenient so you may have to try a couple times and be super nice. There must be a fairly hefty incentive for employees signing up protection plans.
Basic Diference in plans
AT&T Mobile Insurance: $10/month plus $200 at time of replacement
BB Protection Plan: $10/month and NO deductible upon replacement
There are a few more smaller difference but they generally favor the BB plan. Normally I would buy from BB in the first place but they are apparently having a delayed launch. The location I went to today still didn't know when they were being allowed to start selling. This may be something most XDA users know about but with all the insurance posts lately I thought I'd share incase it helps someones pull the trigger on the NII.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is true. You should be able to do this. A manager will not turn this plan down because it is almost pure profit. This is applicable to almost any product. You must make sure it is a product carried by Best Buy. Usually you have 2 weeks from you date of purchase. Note: they will leverage the Samsung 1 year warranty. If you purchase the accidental plan they will cover the damage out right. Also don't forget Square Trade.

So people will unfortunately lose their jobs at best buy for this. Best Buy only offers the geek squad protection on iphones not purchased at best buy. Not other phones. If a manager is allowing this, it is strictly to boost their numbers on a scorecard, meanwhile losing it all and more on the back side of the business.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium

It's a tough decision for me to buy insurance since it ends up being the cost of another device on contract. Now that Nexus phones are $300, I don't think I'll get insurance on my note. I extended my apple care on my iphone 4 and never broke it. Never damaged my 4S either, and both were used case-less.
However if I decided to get insurance, the best buy route seems like the best one.

Got it. $169 for two years, seemed like the only logical way to go considering that $9.99 a month costs an extra $80.
I feel dumb as hell asking this now and assuming it in store, but does this plan cover accidental damage? Assumed it did, but I'm now seeing documentation that it doesn't. Not a deal-breaker either way, as the normal wear-and-tear and pixel damage/burn-in protection made the purchase more than worthwhile.
Edit to add: Very little was made of the fact that it wasn't purchased at Best Buy. When I walked up to the mobile counter, the sales rep and department manager were there, along with the store GM. I asked about covering the phone, and the only question was asked by the store GM: "You bought it directly from AT&T, right? Not Amazon or eBay or anyplace like that?". I answered yes, and they got to work on it. No asking for a receipt or anything, just cranked out the sales plan.

That's awesome. Best buy is the way to go!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium
---------- Post added at 03:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 PM ----------
cpcrazyfly said:
So people will unfortunately lose their jobs at best buy for this. Best Buy only offers the geek squad protection on iphones not purchased at best buy. Not other phones. If a manager is allowing this, it is strictly to boost their numbers on a scorecard, meanwhile losing it all and more on the back side of the business.
Sent from my HTC One X using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
True.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

Well good for you guys, but if you get denied somehow when you break your phone... I wouldn't be surprised
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda premium

cpcrazyfly said:
Well good for you guys, but if you get denied somehow when you break your phone... I wouldn't be surprised
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Good luck with that. I've got a receipt and documentation that says the coverage was purchased. Not sure they could successfully deny covered repairs.

T.J. Bender said:
Good luck with that. I've got a receipt and documentation that says the coverage was purchased. Not sure they could successfully deny covered repairs.
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They are "supposed" to only sell the Geek Squad Protection with phones that are purchased directly from Best Buy. But if they let you do it, then just keep your documentation and you should be set. :good:
Its covers normal wear & tear, moisture damage, charging failures, battery replacement, and screen breaks. Does NOT cover full submersion in liquid, or crazy negligent damage like being run over by a car, or thrown against a wall. Nor does it cover contact with bodily fluids.... eww.
Basically if you drop your phone, break your screen, anything that can normally happen like that, you should be covered just fine. Anything more exotic, and it will be up to the discretion of the associate that is processing your repair.

Well, I don't plan on going snorkeling with my phone (although I did spend half an hour in a pool once before I realized that my old Verizon flip phone was in my pocket), nor do I intend to play racquetball with it, you know, as the ball. I'm also leaning decidedly against running over it with a vehicle, or trying to use it as a frisbee. Yep, should be set. :good:

T.J. Bender said:
Got it. $169 for two years, seemed like the only logical way to go considering that $9.99 a month costs an extra $80.
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but can you cancel the prepaid 2 years?
i have no plan to keep my phone for 2 years, i have 3 lines. if something better comes alone, i will sell the Note2. i paying 9.99$ a month.

Thanks for the tip, I purchased my SGSII from Best Buy last year outright, but didn't even think to purchase this. Bricked my SGSII earlier this year, ATT gave me a new one, said I was still under the one year warranty, lol.

ohh great!!! i was about to return my phone to att and purchase it from bestbuy after i got my refund, so do you have to show proof of purchase from att or something?? but i got it from online via att

Mr_Armageddon said:
I purchased my Note 2 outright for $650 at a Best Buy mobile, and got the 2 year accidental damage replacement plan. Bought the plan outright as well being that it is much cheaper than paying $10/month. (Doesn't hurt that they gave me a discount for buying it all at once either).
Over all their plan is better than what AT&T offers, especially having no deductible and no limit to replacements. But it does NOT cover loss or theft. For that duty I am using Cerberus, and I am 100% pleased with bolth the phone and Replacement plan.
My wife is happy too because she got my GS3
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
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What is Cerberus?

Best buy protection plan doesn't cover water damage if the phone was totally submerged the AT&T plan covers that and the loss and theft of the phone I thought about the best buy plan but if you look at the details of it it's really not worth it for what it covers
You can read all the horror stories online if you google it

Insuring for Galaxy Note 4

I am coming from best buy Geek Squad with no deductible. I know best buy is still much better than sprint but I am looking for insurance that offers me the best protection including accidental drops and water damage and coverage for lost and stolen phones (although I'm willing to give this up if I have to in return for a great accidental plan with low ddeductible) I'm curious what everyone else is planning to go with to protect their new phone. With bestbuy I had my phone ran over by a semi and dropped from high elevation (both theories technically not covered) but was replaced twice at no charge.
Anyone find this kind of great insurance else where?

Maybe I'll just do geek squad and drop sprints insurance

hardingn88 said:
I am coming from best buy Geek Squad with no deductible. I know best buy is still much better than sprint but I am looking for insurance that offers me the best protection including accidental drops and water damage and coverage for lost and stolen phones (although I'm willing to give this up if I have to in return for a great accidental plan with low ddeductible) I'm curious what everyone else is planning to go with to protect their new phone. With bestbuy I had my phone ran over by a semi and dropped from high elevation (both theories technically not covered) but was replaced twice at no charge.
Anyone find this kind of great insurance else where?
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I haven't looked at specifics between plans to compare, something I need to do but I recently read an article on one of the many android-centric sites about best buy's updated insurance plan and it is not so good, a few months back it was modified greatly and at quick glance it was worse than what is provided through sprint. These aren't exact numbers but it was something like 40 dollars per claim even if work (as in fix/replace) is done or not and deductible was through the roof for high-end smartphones [audit needed]. I just remember many of the commenters on the article were saying they were jumping ship from BB insurance and going with sprint's.

No insurance for me. Never had it on a phone I've owned.
Sent from my SPH-L710 using XDA Free mobile app

ahhh, nice, cheaper than both BB and Sprint:
http://www.samsung.com/us/owners/protection-plus/mobile-elite/?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170
+1 Samsung
Sprint: $11 x 24 = $264 + $200 deductible, total $464
BB/GeekSquad: $149 up-front + $149 service fee, total $298
Samsung: $129 up-front + $95 service fee, total $224
Sprint includes service/repair in their monthly cost, but not replacement.
BB/GS&Samsung all charge a service fee any severity problem.

evolone said:
ahhh, nice, cheaper than both BB and Sprint:
http://www.samsung.com/us/owners/protection-plus/mobile-elite/?CID=AFL-hq-mul-0813-11000170
+1 Samsung
Sprint: $11 x 24 = $264 + $200 deductible, total $464
BB/GeekSquad: $149 up-front + $149 service fee, total $298
Samsung: $129 up-front + $95 service fee, total $224
Sprint includes service/repair in their monthly cost, but not replacement.
BB/GS&Samsung all charge a service fee any severity problem.
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Thank you so much for this information. This is what I will be going with. Currently I have been paying $22 a month with best buy for 2 phones and never used it for one of the phones. That is $264 per device over the 24 month policy term that I paid. Samsung seems to have the best plan available for me and seems to have the lowest deductible which has been my concern. I live paycheck to paycheck and do not have $150-$200 to pay to best buy or sprint if I was to need to make a claim and $95/per claim would much easier on me. Again, Thank you for sharing that information. I don't understand why samsung has not marketed this a little better maybe in their commercials or something. Hopefully they will market it better so it will do good. I have been on the samsung site every day for the last week waiting for note 4 accessories and have never seen this.

Squaretrade is even cheaper than Samsung. It has a lower deductible and the premium is cheaper too..
Sent from my SPH-L900 using xda premium

I'm also coming from geek squad with no deductible on my GS4 , and I'll be going to square trade it's the best deal for $100 for 2 Years or 5$ a month and it's a 75$ deductible cheapest of all them, I'll miss the no deductible tho :/

Only the Sprint policy covers lost or stolen phones so something to keep in mind.
I'm not cheer-leading for them just adding info to the archives.
I do use Square Trade on my other electronics but will probably keep the Sprint insurance for a year.

Itchiee said:
Only the Sprint policy covers lost or stolen phones so something to keep in mind.
I'm not cheer-leading for them just adding info to the archives.
I do use Square Trade on my other electronics but will probably keep the Sprint insurance for a year.
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I haven't filed a claim with them yet, but Worth Ave. Group insurance seems to be the best deal, and has great reviews: http://www.worthavegroup.com/product/cell-phone-insurance/
For a $699 phone and $50 deductible, it's $69 per year. From their site, "Each policy covers the cell phone for Accidental Damage such as drops and spills as well as Theft, Fire, Flood, Natural Disasters and Lightning Strikes. With a low $50 deductible and premiums starting as little as under $4 a month, this policy accommodates every budget. We cover NEW, USED and REFURBISHED devices."

I've been doing some more digging around about policies and this might be some useful information.
Options for people concerned with lost/stolen smartphones
-Renters/Homeowners Insurance - you'll need to add a "Valuable Personal Article" to your plan - this is also the cheapest way to go out of all of them, but only covers loss not damage (same insurers may cover damage)
-Sprint (insurance by Asurion)
If only concerned about broken/damaged smartphones (plans exclude loss)
-Squaretrade
-Samsung
Alternative ...best deal of them all but there is some risk (imo)
-Worth Ave. Group
Note: They pay out cost of plan instead of repair/replace. If you go with the $899 plan and if something happens to the phone they send you $899. The issue I found is if you look up reviews online (not on their website) there are mixed reviews, people have had problems with their claims and WAG's customer service. So there seems to be some risk here of getting the money, also the wait-time of processing the claim and actually receiving the money. [update] They don't cover loss and their definition of theft is extremely specific, read their fine print.

Itchiee said:
Only the Sprint policy covers lost or stolen phones so something to keep in mind.
I'm not cheer-leading for them just adding info to the archives.
I do use Square Trade on my other electronics but will probably keep the Sprint insurance for a year.
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Also, if you're using Easy Pay and plan to upgrade in a year, you can only trade in the original device or a Sprint approved replacement. If you use other insurance and get a replacement, you'll have to keep it the full two years.

evolone said:
I'll
If only concerned about broken/damaged smartphones (plans exclude loss)
-Squaretrade
-Samsung
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Samsung has insurance? Is it well priced?

I didn't even realize that bestbuy changed. I've been looking around for the negative reviews by Worth Ave and I can't find any. I've seen a few that claim to be negative but the details sound like people are trying to get coverage on things that were stated not to be covered. I'm not trying to defend them by any means. Just looking for where all these mixed reviews are posted.

Silent25r said:
I didn't even realize that bestbuy changed. I've been looking around for the negative reviews by Worth Ave and I can't find any. I've seen a few that claim to be negative but the details sound like people are trying to get coverage on things that were stated not to be covered. I'm not trying to defend them by any means. Just looking for where all these mixed reviews are posted.
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Here is a good place to look BBB, yes they are 'resolved' but if you read them, many are not to the customers satisfaction.
There's also more, just google for it, you'll need to do some digging through ads/promotions and whatnot. Some of the complaints have to do with technicalities in the fine print that allow the company to deny the claim. For example if my phone is stolen I'd expect reimbursement from the claim under any circumstance, not an investigation into why it doesn't fit their definition of theft and then denied. Here's a scenario they would deny: Your at starbucks and place an order, you go find a table and put your phone on it, they call your name and you get your coffee, you come back to an empty table. Stupid absolutely, but the phone was stolen (theft), Worth would deny that claim because the phone was unprotected and "free for the taking". That's a simplistic example of the reviews/complaints/issues i've found. Basically there has to be some act of vandalism (breaking and entering/physical attack etc) along with the act of theft for it be covered and apparently this is in the fine print and not in their advertisements.
---------- Post added at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------
jrollercoasters said:
Samsung has insurance? Is it well priced?
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Post 5

evolone said:
Here is a good place to look BBB, yes they are 'resolved' but if you read them, many are not to the customers satisfaction.
There's also more, just google for it, you'll need to do some digging through ads/promotions and whatnot. Some of the complaints have to do with technicalities in the fine print that allow the company to deny the claim. For example if my phone is stolen I'd expect reimbursement from the claim under any circumstance, not an investigation into why it doesn't fit their definition of theft and then denied. Here's a scenario they would deny: Your at starbucks and place an order, you go find a table and put your phone on it, they call your name and you get your coffee, you come back to an empty table. Stupid absolutely, but the phone was stolen (theft), Worth would deny that claim because the phone was unprotected and "free for the taking". That's a simplistic example of the reviews/complaints/issues i've found. Basically there has to be some act of vandalism (breaking and entering/physical attack etc) along with the act of theft for it be covered and apparently this is in the fine print and not in their advertisements.
---------- Post added at 02:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:06 PM ----------
Post 5
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Thanks for that reply. I did read the BBB. At least some of them. A lot of the issues did deal with people leaving their cars unlocked or breaking in commercial used vehicles. I don't know about worth ave ads since I usual don't read the ads. I've yet to leave any of my phones unprotected and I'm anal about locking things up. However, as far as insurance goes the only ones I've looking at don't offer replacement for stolen devices of any kind. Samsung and squaretrade. Since I don't like a lot of time to go by on waiting for a replacement Squaretrade is out for me.
Aursion brunt me bad. I filed a BBB case against them myself. Had liquid damage with my note 2. After agreeing to pay the high deductible they sent me a broken replacement and refused to replace the replacement. Sprint kept telling me I had 10 days to get them to replace it but they wouldn't do it. I spoke to supervisors at Aursion and did all I could to get them to replace my broken replacement and they told me the only way they'd do it if is if I paid another 250 or whatever stupidly high price they are charging. I ended up having to wait around for a week for Sprint to get me a replacement device and surprising that device didn't work so I had to wait yet another week. I did finally get a working phone and I was refunded the deductible on the grounds of TEP not following their contract. I had to get a hold of sprint corporate in order to make this refund happen. Aursion didn't appear to be happy with the way things went and made sure I knew that I would never have to use them again.
Under the Samsung insurance if my device fails under normal circumstances will they still get me a fast replacement and not charge me 95 bucks to fix their problem? That for me is the kicker. If not, I'm probably going to go with Worth Ave. I'm not really counting on my phone being stolen but I do spend a lot of time on the water. Liquid damage is my worse enemy. I didn't want the S5 and no case so far offers waterproofing. For now, I'll just use a waterproof box and a bluetooth. Despite these measures I had one of those boxes fail on me taking my device with it. This week I'll be going through Worth Ave's terms and conditions and e-mailing them questions on anything I'm unsure about.
I still don't understand how Best Buy went from being on the best to what I'm calling one of the worst in terms of insurance. From the looks of things even it is covered under warranty they may still charge to fix or replace it. I understand people gaming the system but I think they went a little to aggressive on stopping that from happening.

i've never had an issue with Geek Squad and my Note 2 other than having to use one of my own phones as a backup until it was fixed (don't carry sprint phones for some reason). I had a bad string of unfortunate events within about a 3 month period and went through three Note IIs. They replaced each one without question. The last replaced phone was about four months ago. i suppose I'll be finding out what has changed since then when my phone comes in.

Silent25r said:
...For now, I'll just use a waterproof box and a bluetooth. Despite these measures I had one of those boxes fail on me taking my device with it.
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Why not go with liquipel? I don't mean the self applied external only stuff they sell but their service that waterproofs inside and all. They downplay its functionality somewhat on their site but check out the youtube videos of multi-hour submersion in water. And if you live near Santa Ana or Vancouver you can get it done locally in 20 minutes instead of waiting for shipping.

4SQUARE

Probably a stupid question, but can you do 2 warranties at the same time? For example, i want to be covered for the lost/stolen part of sprint, but I also want the lower deductible from Squaretrade. Is that possible?
Sent from my SM-P900 using XDA Premium HD app

Has anyone heard of squaretrade insurance?

http://www.squaretrade.com/best-buy-smartphone-warranty
They have better rates than bestbuy and sprint, and a lower deductible..has anyone heard of this company before? I'm like 4 days into having my note 4 and kinda thinking about insurance. bestbuy decided to impliment a protection plan identical to sprints. :/

No. But you have got me interested. Im going to call them this week and get some more info. 11 bucks a month for sprints insurance, its half the cost. One thing about insurion (or what ever their name is), i know for a fact they pay claims. Ive used them once when I dropped my droid razr maxx hd in my coffee. Had a new phone in 2 days. Not sure how reliable this one is. But Im definitely interested in knowing more. One thing that is a red flag is it has Sprints deductible at 200 bucks. Mine is 100 bucks, or at least it used to be.
Let me know what you find out. Ill do the same after I call them.
Thanks for the info. Good to know there is some competition for mobile device insurance.
AS FOR ME.....GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH

Unfortunately with the premium phones the deductible is $200 and $300 if you lose the phone. I will be looking into this tomorrow also.

I would read the reviews on Amazon, I was all for buying through square trade... Now I am rethinking it

I actually use to sell Square Trade and use them for all my electronics (except phones because I haven't broken one yet). If you read the comments you'll see that they're 5 star rated on Amazon and have an A+ rating with the BBB as well as numerous awards for customer service. They're totally worth it though I'm not familiar with their phone policies, I only TV, computer, and tablet warranties.
I do know that if you intend on keeping the phone for the full two years you can just buy the insurance instead of doing monthly installments. In the end it saves you around 50% give or take.
If you want more info call them or go in to a TigerDirect, they sell them there. You can get a device anywhere and buy the Square Trade at Tiger, just make sure to tell them you saw the online price and it was cheaper, it'll knock down the price.

Squaretrade is about the same as any warranty, customer service is ok, once you speak to a supervisor. Most lower reps don't know what they are talking about, when my note 3 screen cracked they replaced it with a new phone from amazon, but I was told that was a one time deal. Otherwise it is "gently used" or open box items. I paid 89 for two years with them, but I am also paying 13 a month with sprint and will probably stick with sprint unless Squaretrade does that again. Only recommend them if you don't want to shell out a monthly payment with sprint
Sent from my SM-N910P using XDA Premium HD app

Have we found out anything else regarding squaretrade? I haven't had a chance to call them at all but I'm thinking of just going with best buys insurance, even if the deductible is crazy high. ..

I have SquareTrade on both of my tablets but fortunately I never used the policy... I would insure my phone with them but they don't cover theft or loss like Sprint does.
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk

Come on guys, Google is your friend! Squaretrade is either $5 a month or $99 for two years. They don't cover loss or theft and their deductible is $75. Across the board they're more affordable than everyone else. You can also get it on any device at any time, you just have to prove it's working I guess.
http://www.squaretrade.com/smartphone-warranty

I am interested in switching to square trade but other than theft coverage Sprint's tep has one other benefit. There have been times where I go to a Sprint store for an issue, like my wifi radio not working anymore or something else. They have replaced it for free. Sometimes with a new device.
It looks like with square trade it's cheaper but you get a refurbished or used device.

DarkManX4lf said:
I am interested in switching to square trade but other than theft coverage Sprint's tep has one other benefit. There have been times where I go to a Sprint store for an issue, like my wifi radio not working anymore or something else. They have replaced it for free. Sometimes with a new device.
It looks like with square trade it's cheaper but you get a refurbished or used device.
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Sprint TEP will replace with used/refurbished phone also. It even states that in the fine print. It even says they can replace with different device of equal value.

I've used squaretrade for years, they're a good route to take, but as with any contract, be sure to read the terms and understand what you're reading.

Patch7 said:
Sprint TEP will replace with used/refurbished phone also. It even states that in the fine print. It even says they can replace with different device of equal value.
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Yep I know. That's why I said "some times with a new device".